


Pretzels and Gay cotton candy

by ThetenthtenbeingofTen



Series: Luca and Mari [9]
Category: Original Work
Genre: A day with the family turns into former-bully redemption, Brotherly Love, Gen, Illustrated, Implied/Referenced Past Child Neglect, It's really hard to tag this..., LGBTQ Parental Figure, More details in the chapter notes, Past Homophobic Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-27
Updated: 2020-11-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:47:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27743212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThetenthtenbeingofTen/pseuds/ThetenthtenbeingofTen
Summary: Every year the twins take their foster son Sam to the autumn market in town. This year is the same.This year though, they run into somebody they'd hoped to never see again. As it turns out though, people can change.
Relationships: Lucas Köhler/Markus Köhler
Series: Luca and Mari [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/937116





	Pretzels and Gay cotton candy

**Author's Note:**

> So... let me just pretend like a thousand years _didn't_ go by since I last wrote anything about the twins...
> 
> Here we are! A more or less cute little One Shot!
> 
> I'll say I really struggled with the tagging here, so let me just... clarify a few things, to protect you from possible triggers.  
> There's a flashback to pretty nasty homophobic bullying, but nothing _truly_ vile, I'd say. They are teenagers in that flashback, so they _can_ do some harm...
> 
> There's also a tiny mention of Sam's past - as in the reason why he's not with his parents, but with the twins, but nothing explicit.
> 
> I hope this is... helpful?
> 
> And... now, please enjoy. ^^

There was a big market in the town square. Stalls and shops appeared one morning, crammed around the statue of the town’s most famous and respected authors. It came around the end of summer, when it was time to harvest and get ready for winter, but the chill of autumn hadn’t set in yet.

Sam loved it.

Mari and Luca took him to the market every year, letting him pick out something special for them to cook.

It was a little tradition to help the child with the approach of winter.

It used to make the boy feel scared, to be cold and lost in a snowy world, where there was no comfort, no warmth to be found.

The twins couldn’t know if it was a memory that happened, or just a nightmare, conjured in a cold winter night, when his parents were physically present, but emotionally absent.

Either way, they had needed a way to help the child see past those memories, to form newer happy ones.

When they first took Sam – who’d just turned three – to the market those memories still had a firm grasp on him. He refused to walk on his own, never even uncurling his fingers from Mari’s jacket. He even held onto the younger twin’s hand when Luca held him for a change.

It was such a stark contrast to the boy now. He flitted between the stalls like a butterfly on a meadow. The twins barely managed to follow along half the time.

Mari caught the boy’s hand before he ran off again. “Hey, hey...” he laughed, “give me a break. I’m seven times your age,” he pointed out, internally cringing at his own words. Luca grimaced.

"More than that, actually," he pointed out, his voice slightly pained.

"Yes, yes, grandpa," Mari hissed, pulling Sam to his side. Luca chuckled. Mari never tired of pointing out who the elder twin was, even if it was only by half an hour.

Sam murred, "But I wanna see!", tugging on Mari's hand.

"You can go have a look, dear," Mari assured, "I just need you to slow down a bit."

Sam looked up at Mari, then at Luca, squirming with the sheer amount of unused energy he had. 

_Gosh,_ Luca thought, _to think that we're possibly gonna be dealing with this for another few years…_ He sighed deeply.

"How about we eat something small, hm?", he suggested. He knew that would slow the boy down for a while at least.

Mari put on a smile.

"Good idea," he said immediately, "Sam hasn't eaten anything since breakfast and he's been running around since we got here," he added, more for Sam’s sake than Luca’s. He kept a firm grip on Sam's hand as the kid practically started vibrating with excitement at the prospect of food.

Luca took Sam on his shoulders to give Mari a well deserved break. He told Sam to look for a food stand he'd like to try, using the guise of giving him a better vantage point to keep him from complaining about not being able to run around.

Mari sneakily stretched out his spine and arms after being pulled around the market for a few hours.

Sam didn't see this and soon found a food stand he wanted to try.

They offered all kinds of baked goods, stuffed buns, pastries and various kinds of bread, such as potato bread or garlic rolls.

Sam was easily lured in by the scent of fresh, warm bread, and when he saw the stuffed soft pretzels his decision was made.

Luca set him down and talked to the lady at the stand. She of course saw that he was here with a child, so she immediately offered him the easy to eat pastries and pretzels. Sam made his wishes known quickly and Mari chuckled, pulling out his wallet already.

Luca gave him a look and told him to pick something for the two of them.

Mari shook his head, letting Luca pick what he liked.

The lady handed over Sam's pretzel with fried onions and bits of sausage. She offered to add a smear of mustard, but Mari already knelt down to give it to Sam.

"No, thank you. He's a bit too sensitive for mustard," he explained with a smile.

Sam grinned widely, eagerly stuffing the pretzel into his mouth. Mari watched him for a moment, before straightening up when he felt Luca's hand land on his back.

He tensed.

"Luca?", he just managed to ask, when a strange, yet distantly familiar voice called out, "It's you!"

Mari's smile dropped instantly. He took a moment to put the smile back on.

By the time he stood up straight next to Luca, he already saw the one who'd called them.

It was Stephan.

There was no doubt. The man had obviously aged - the softness of youth replaced with a handsome angularity, while retaining the same deep eyes and tensely set jaw. His nose was slightly crooked, and Mari felt his teeth ache.

Luca’s hand on Mari’s back curled into a fist, gripping his jacket.

“It really is you,” Stephan said, awkwardly rubbing his nape. “It… I… I wasn’t sure at first,” he added and stepped closer, before thinking better of it and keeping his distance. His nose itched.

Mari licked his lips, feeling like his mouth was painfully dry, then nodded once. “Yeah.”

Sam, who picked up on the tense atmosphere, let out a whimper.

Mari hugged the boy to his side, while Luca stepped forward to shield him, as though Stephan’s mere gaze could possibly harm him.

“Is that your son?” Stephan asked, looking at Mari. Luca bit back a scoff.

Mari, who had found his composure again - for now at least, put on a smile. “No. How could he be,” he said and shrugged casually, glancing subtly at Luca.

Stephan sputtered.

“Ah… Right. Of course,” he laughed tensely, “I was really wondering for a moment there, if you’d… like. You know…” he gestured helplessly in Mari’s direction, never daring to reach into the man’s space.

Mari said nothing, and neither did Luca, who busied himself with distracting Sam.

At last Stephan dropped his hands and slumped.

“What I’m trying to say is… I’m sorry.”

He meant it this time.

  
  
  


“I’m _so_ sorry!” Stephan said in a mocking voice, lisping slightly from the swelling in his cheek. “I’m ooooh so sorry that your sissy brother can’t handle a little tap on the jaw,” he added, rolling his eyes.

Luca had only arrived a few moments prior, and by now the situation was already ruined.

He’d been at the cafeteria, buying a little lunch snack for himself and Mari. Mari refused to go with the crowd, worried he’d run into Robin again, whose name still sent chills of guilt and pain up his spine whenever it was mentioned.

It was fine though, as Luca never minded helping Mari, now that he _knew_ how to help him.

The past months had been so tough, watching his twin withering away with no way to help him… thankfully that was over now.

Mari was waiting outside, watching the golden tree branches sway in the autumn wind, when somebody approached him.

“Where’s your oh-so-great boyfriend, huh?” Stephan wondered, sneering at Mari.

The latter gave no response, limply averting his eyes.

“Pffh, not so great after all, huh?” Stephan teased more, and something in Mari snapped.

He struck Stephan’s cheek with the flat of his palm before he even knew what’d happened.

“Shut the fuck up…” he growled, just as Stephan caught himself and threw his fist in retaliation.

His knuckles collided painfully with Mari’s cheekbone, slipping as the momentum was transferred and hitting his chin on the way down.

Mari fell over, catching himself on his hands and knees. Blood and spit poured from his mouth.

Stephan blinked, partially awed, partially worried. _Had he hit too hard…? No way, right?_

Putting on a brave voice Stephan stepped up next to Mari, “Who’dya think you are?! Slapping me like a little girl? Ya sissy!”

Mari didn’t react.

Dissatisfied with that, Stephan nudged Mari’s side with the top of his foot, expecting the other to lash out at last, but instead he simply fell onto his side, staring into the distance.

His eyes were brimming with tears.

A chill ran through Stephan. This was the first time he’d seen the other this… broken. _Had he truly fucked something up? Something major?_

He didn’t get time to think about this, as Luca shouted Mari’s name.

The elder twin had just stepped out of the school building onto the yard, snacks in hand when he saw Stephan kicking Mari, who fell to the ground like a corpse.

Feeling his blood freeze, Luca dropped the items he’d bought onto the nearest flat surface and ran towards the two.

“What did you do?! What the FUCK did you do!?” he demanded, pulling Stephan’s collar.

“I did nothing, for fuck’s sake…!” Stephan tried to defend himself, but Luca jerked him, making him bend forward slightly to look at Mari.

“Is this _nothing_ to you?” he yelled.

“Fine, I punched him for slapping me!” Stephan admitted and shook off Luca’s hands. “What do you want me to do? Pat his cheek with a tissue and apologize?” he sneered, before spitting at Luca’s feet.

“I’m _so_ sorry! I’m ooooh so sorry that your sissy brother can’t handle a little tap on the jaw…”

What followed was a moment of blinding shock, then nothing.

Luca had punched Stephan in the face, breaking his nose. The jolt of pain knocked him out before he even hit the ground.

By now everyone was staring at the three of them, yet no one dared to move or speak.

Luca himself was in shock, not quite able to comprehend what he’d just done. All he could focus on was the searing pain in his wrist and his knuckles. He couldn’t uncurl his fingers… 

At last someone yelled, “Call a teacher!” and Luca woke from his trance.

He blinked… looked down at his hands, one open and shaking, the other curled into a fist, stiff and unmoving.

He looked down at Stephan, who hadn’t moved since he’d landed on the ground, blood seeping from his nose.

At last Luca turned to look at Mari, who hadn’t uttered a single word since he’d gotten there, and knelt by his side.

There was a puddle of blood beneath Mari’s mouth at this point.

The three of them got suspended for a week. At long last somebody pointed out that Mari had only lashed out, because Stephan had picked on him in the first place.

With Mrs Crowe’s involvement, it became painfully obvious that Mari wasn’t the one at fault for this.

  
  
  


“I’m really sorry,” Stephan repeated. “I didn’t get it back then. Like, I just… _didn’t get it_. But I know better now. And I’m sorry for what I did.”

  
  


Mari blinked, meeting Stephan’s eyes for the first time.

He swallowed dryly.

“Oh…?” he finally managed and helplessly looked at Luca.

Luca was just as shocked, holding Sam’s hand like he barely remembered it was there at all.

Stephan huffed a pained laugh.

“Yeah, I… Look, back then I was hella ignorant. Like the only gay people I’d seen were like, you know that thing where a guy is sent to prison, and there’s some ugly, buff dude waiting to… you know?” he started, rambling now, “Like, they try to make it funny, but I never… thought it was funny. My dad told me that gays go to prison, and I just thought that they just… did bad shit. That they deserved that,” he continued.

Mari nodded once, understanding how such influences would make a young boy think badly of anyone who was homosexual. He glanced down at Sam and smiled softly, allowing the boy to wrap an arm around his thigh for comfort and support.

He stroked his head.

Stephan watched the interaction with a pained expression.

“I didn’t get it,” he said again. “I really didn’t, until my cousin came out to me. Like… uhm, he super loves me. Like, I watched that kid grow up, and he’s like the sweetest kid out there. Like… pure cotton candy!” he gushed a little, “And one day I caught him looking at pretty boys on insta, and like… I freaked out at first, but he just… he trusted me. He told me, and I just… it clicked, you know?”

Stephan looked into Mari’s eyes, then Luca’s and both thought they saw tears, ready to fall.

“Until he outed himself to me, I realized that I’d never thought of you guys as actual people. All I thought of was… the ugly guy in the prison cell, who deserved to be there, who did bad stuff to other guys, like… you know…”

Mari gave a shaky smile.

“Yeah. I know,” he assured. He licked his lip, the scar from that other fight he and Stephan had back then long forgotten, and held out his hand.

“Sorry, and thanks,” he said.

Stephan blinked. For a moment he stared at Mari’s hand… then, trembling almost, he grabbed it.

They held on for a few seconds, then let go. Stephan looked at Luca, finally daring to meet his eyes too.

Luca swallowed hard.

“I won’t forgive you,” he said quietly. Stephan nodded quickly, ready to step back, but Luca spoke again.

“But I will acknowledge that you’re better now. I hope you can do the right thing for your cousin.”

Mari laughed softly.

“Right,” he said, “Best wishes for your cousin. May he be his best gay cotton candy self.”

Stephan gave a shaky laugh and nodded.

“Yeah. I’ll try my best. Like… I’ll really, really try. The kid deserves the world,” he said in agreement, then glanced down at Sam, who was almost done eating his pretzel.

“This kid too,” he added and looked back up at the twins.

He let out a deep sigh. He relaxed at long last.

Sam looked up at Mari.

“What’s gay cotton candy?” he asked.

Mari burst out laughing.

  
  


In the end Stephan and the twins parted ways. Wisely, neither of them spoke aloud the thought in their minds… _We’re glad you changed… but we never want to see you again._

Things were fine as they were.

Mari and Luca spent the rest of the afternoon trying to convince Sam that gay cotton candy wasn’t actually a thing, and it wasn’t for eating, and no, he couldn’t try any as there was none.

They got the boy to accept this after feeding him an apple baked in honey instead of gay cotton candy.

Sam decided on stuffed peppers for his special meal, and while Sam sat in Mari’s lap, happily eating his baked apple, Luca went to buy the ingredients needed for that.

By the time they went home Sam was tired at last, and Mari ended up carrying him all the way. His arms ached, but he didn’t complain, happy to have the sticky boy by his side - even if he drooled on his shoulder a little.

When they made it back he bathed him and put him to bed in under half an hour.

Afterwards he sauntered into the kitchen, where Luca was re-heating some leftovers. They ate standing in the kitchen, did the dishes then curled up on the couch, listening to some quiet music.

Luca rubbed Mari’s shoulders, kneading his tired muscles, while Mari lazily played with the curly ends of Luca’s hair.

It’d grown out a bit since their last haircut. Part of him was tempted to just let it grow out again, but then he remembered how stressful life was when you were raising a child, and he let the thought go again.

Before long Luca’s gentle massage turned into featherlight caresses, dipping his fingers under Mari’s shirt here and there… and eventually he fell asleep.

Mari laid in his arms for a while, watching his brother like he had done for so many years.

Sometimes he thought back to that day, when Luca rushed to his side like a hero, knocking out the bad guy…

Sometimes he wondered what Luca’s face looked like in that moment, but all he’d seen was the other’s heaving back as he panted in his fury.

When Stephan had punched him, his tongue had gotten caught between his teeth. When Luca had punched Stephan, he’d sprained his wrist and bruised his knuckles.

For a few weeks they took care of each other like that. Luca with his arm in a sling and Mari, unable to speak.

Sometimes he wondered if Robin had witnessed the fight. Sometimes he was tempted to call him and ask, but then he thought it was better if he didn’t know.

  
  


In truth, it didn’t matter anymore. Stephan’s apology, while sincere and refreshing, didn’t matter anymore either.

It’d been so long since then.

What mattered was what would come next. Maybe one day it would be Sam, opening up to them, telling them about the things he was feeling.

Or maybe… that day would never come.

Who knew. Sam was too young to know yet. _But it was good,_ Mari thought, _that he considered gay cotton candy to be something awesome._

_If he thinks gay cotton candy is awesome, maybe he’ll also think that gay spiced chocolate was awesome, or gay dark chocolate, or gay… gay anything._

  
  


He didn’t have the courage today, but maybe in the near future he’ll explain to the boy what gay means, he thinks with a smile and closes his eyes.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this little short story! If you did, I'd love to receive Kudos, or even a comment from you!
> 
> Stay safe out there, and remember to be kind to each other and yourself!


End file.
